


A hero, a flirt, and a merman

by insomnias_dumbass_bitch



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Characters will be added as they appear - Freeform, I think?, M/M, Not Beta Read, Polyamory, Slow Burn, chiakaokana brainrot..., gay to the power of three, its not gonna happen for a while basically, lace wanted me to credit her on tht, mermaid, same with ships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:33:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25143187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insomnias_dumbass_bitch/pseuds/insomnias_dumbass_bitch
Summary: A while ago, Kanata asked Chiaki for his help. At the time, Chiaki didn't know what it meant, but with the help of Kaoru (more like Kaoru told him everything how it is but) , Chiaki was able to figure it out. Now, the two humans help out the prince of merpeople adjust to the world.
Relationships: Hakaze Kaoru/Morisawa Chiaki, Hakaze Kaoru/Morisawa Chiaki/Shinkai Kanata, Hakaze Kaoru/Shinkai Kanata, Morisawa Chiaki/Shinkai Kanata
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	A hero, a flirt, and a merman

**Author's Note:**

> I know I have a lot of incomplete works but I swear I'll finish this one! I know I will because this is a rewrite of something I wrote for an exam a couple years ago so I actually know where all of it is going I swear.

"B-Buchou-dono! Um.." Souma started, staring at Kanata. The merman in question was staring at the shore seemingly in a daze. He always does this when they grow near the shore. Kanata has always been fascinated with humans. Souma had no place to interfere with his prince's hobbies, but they had to start moving soon. Kanata didn't seem to hear him, so Souma called out to him again.

"Buchou-dono! We have to get moving soo-" Souma's sentence was cut off by Kanata's giggling.

"Do you see 'that’, Souma? Hehe… The 'humans' are starting to 'leave’. But 'everytime' that happens, there are 'always' two people who stay." Kanata remarked, his slow voice reaching Souma, the only one in listening distance. 

"What is so significant about them, Buchou-dono? They're just a bunch of humans. We don't need to interact with them. Why don't we go back already?" Souma finally asked, curiosity itching at him.

Kanata laughed, though something about it seemed distant. "You don't 'understand’. Souma… One of them promised he will ‘help’ me one day. I didn’t ‘mean’ to meet him the ‘way’ I did. But he’s ‘really’ nice, not like how ‘everyone’ described them."

Souma looked at the prince confusingly. "How everyone described them?"

Kanata nodded. The motion caused his hair to sway in the water. In his head Souma remarked that he glowed from that position. It made him look like a god. Kanata continued, "Everyone ‘always' told me that ‘humans’ are mean. But Chiaki is a ‘hero’. He ‘saves’ people. The boy sitting next to the 'hero' is someone I saw since I was 'young’. I never talked to ‘him’ before, but I watched him ‘grow’ up as I did. They’re both ‘good’ humans, Souma. They didn't know 'of' each other until recently it 'seems’, but both of them stay after 'everyone' goes. They love the 'sea' like us, Souma. Why can't we 'talk' to them?"

Souma stared at the blue haired merman who stared at the two chatting humans on the beach. "Buchou-dono...You aren't supposed to get involved with humans," Souma started softly, "They are capable of hurting us in ways we aren't aware of. You may believe they’re nice and good, but you don’t know what they’re capable of. Beyond that, you are the prince of our kingdom. I'm not saying this as someone your parents hired to take care of you, I'm saying this as one of your closest acquaintances. If you get involved with them, you will die. You're too important to die to something as preventable as humans." Souma stated.

Kanata went silent, his tail swaying. His body twisted away from the shoreline to look at Souma. He smiled sadly, his half lidded green eyes staring into Souma's. "Souma really doesn't 'understand' huh… That's 'okay'. I'm not someone who is 'easy' to understand." Kanata finished talking. He swam away and started to make his way back home. Souma wanted to speak, but he swam silently after Kanata and followed him in silence.

* * *

  
  
  


"And then Sena stomped on Mikejima-san’s roomba! Mikejima-san was really sad. That roomba had a special cowboy hat and it was Mikejima-san's pride and joy." Chiaki laughed, the breeze hitting him as he sat on the beach with Kaoru. Kaoru snickered at the imagery of Chiaki's story. 

Kaoru hummed and then asked, "Moricchi, can I ask you a question?"

Chiaki raised an eyebrow and then gave Kaoru a big smile. "Of course Hakaze! You can tell me anything you need to! What's up?"

Kaoru stared at the water. "I've got my own reasons for coming here. But do you mind telling me why you do? If it's not too personal."

Chiaki cracked a small smile. "Well it's kind of a long story! You up to hear about it?"

Kaoru nodded. "Sure. I mean, how else will we pass time?"

"True true!" Chiaki laughed. "Alright so! A couple of years ago…"

_ Chiaki's eyes burned as he stared at his feet in the sand. He doesn't want to cry. He has no need to but he feels so helpless right now. He wasn’t able to help anyone all month. He’s been more trouble than he was a help. His eyes burned with the oncoming threat of tears and he mentally prepared himself to use the "It's just the salty air!" excuse when his eyes caught something bright glinting in the water.  _

_ He looked up and stared towards the direction of the shine but it went away. Chiaki played it off as a figment of his imagination but he didn't look away. The glint shone again and Chiaki's gut told him to check it out. At the worst, it's just glass and Chiaki can blame his tears on glass cutting his foot. Deciding that there really isn't anything wrong with checking it out, Chiaki got up and sprinted over to the object _ _  
_ _  
_ _ The closer he got to the object, the more it started to not look like an object. He slowed down as he processed the thing in front of him. It looked to be a boy his age, unconscious, and lower half obscured in darker bits of water. He had light blue hair that likely would’ve blended with the ocean if it were daytime. His skin was shockingly pale as well. Alarm set in Chiaki, and he immediately tried to take the guy out of the water, but the boy’s arm grabbed onto Chiaki’s. He looked up at Chiaki, blue, wet hair seemingly out of his face, with one piece defying the rest and poking out at the top of his head. His eyes opened as he looked at Chiaki and his grip got stronger. Chiaki’s eyes widened as he looked at the boy in shock and asked, “Um… Can I help you out of the water?” _

_ The boy opened his mouth to talk but nothing came out. His eyebrows furrowed and he made a sort of pouty look. He finally opened his mouth again, “The water is my ‘home’. I can’t leave it.” _

_ Right away Chiaki can tell that the boy is weird. His voice is airy, like he’s floating or something. It’s hard to grasp what he’s saying, let alone form a response. But, Chiaki can’t just leave him alone due to something like that. “Your home? Um… I don’t know what you mean… But if I bring you back to my school I can get someone to help you.” _

_ The boy’s eyes widened as he shook his head no. “I can’t leave the ‘water’ or else I will ‘dry’ up.” _

_ Chiaki stared at the boy. “Please let me help you,” he started, “You were passed out and I saw some glinting in the water so maybe you’re cut by glass too? I can help you get home if I just-” Chiaki was cut off by the giggling of the boy.  _

_ “You’re nice. Are you a ‘human’? You ‘seem’ too nice to be ‘human’. I am ‘fine’, I just got too ‘close’ to the surface.” The boy said, smiling up at Chiaki. _

_ Chiaki stared confusingly at the boy. “Uh… Yes I’m human? But what do you mean you got too close to the surface?” _

_ The boy hummed and shifted his body. Chiaki stared as a bunch of glints shone off of his lower half like he was in a manga and he happened to be very hot or something. “What…” Chiaki started as his eyes adjusted to the shine. The place where legs should’ve been were replaced with what looked like to be a mermaid tail. “What is that…?” Chiaki said in shock.  _

_ The boy looked at him like he had just grown two heads. “This is my ‘tail’...? I ‘puka’ with it. If you take me ‘out’ of the water, it will ‘dry’. I said that, no…?” _

_ “W-Well yeah but you didn’t mention the tail!” Chiaki sputtered. _

_ “You’re ‘funny’,” The boy giggled, “What is your ‘name’?” _

_ Chiaki gave his signature pose as he said, “Red flames are the mark of justice! The life-giving sun, burning bright red! Ryusei Red, Chiaki Morisawa!” _

_ Kanata blinked. “Um… I don’t ‘understand’…” He said, pouting. _

_ “Ah sorry sorry…” Chiaki said, giving him an apologetic smile. “I was testing out my catchphrase! I’m a hero! Or well, I’m trying to be!” _

_ “What is a ‘hero’?” Kanata asked. _

_ “What is a hero? You never heard of heroes before? Heroes are super cool! They fight against evil to save people!” Chiaki gushed. “Well… I guess I’m not a real hero? I don’t have powers or anything, but I’m trying to help people as much as I can! You’re the first person who heard my catchphrase too!” _

_ The boy hummed and took some time to think before he responded. “So does that ‘mean’ you grant ‘wishes’?” _

_ “I do! But there’s more to that,” Chiaki said while nodding, “I don’t grant wishes per say! I help people in need. If they ask me to help, I will do everything I can to help. I help even if they don’t ask though. If they need my help, I will help.” _

_ The boy smiled at Chiaki. “I’m a ‘prince’. I grant the ‘wishes’ of my kingdom so that ‘everyone’ is happy. But it is ‘suffocating’. Can you help me, ‘Chiaki’?” _

_ “Help you…? Help you grant the wishes of the kingdom?” Chiaki questioned. _

_ The boy shook his head. “When you ‘understand’, can you ‘help’ me Chiaki? My name is Kanata Shinkai. I will ‘see’ you... ♪” _

_ “Wait what? Kanata? Kanata what do you mean when I understand?” Chiaki asked. _

_  
_ _ Kanata smiled and waved, and then he turned around and swam off, his bright blue tail being the last thing Chiaki saw before it took a dive after Kanata and with a splash, that was the last of Kanata that Chiaki saw. _

“Wait wait wait,” Kaoru started, “You’re saying you saw a merman?”

Chiaki gave an enthusiastic nod towards Kaoru. Kaoru snorted and shook his head. “Moricchi, if you didn’t wanna tell me the reason, you could’ve just said so. That was stupidly well detailed for a story though. I didn’t even think you  _ could _ lie Moricchi.”

Chiaki got up and loudly exclaimed, “I’m not lying Hakaze! I swear! He told me that’d I understand but I still don’t understand… So I thought if I came here whenever I could and I thought about it, I’d find the answer!”

Kaoru hummed. “Let’s say you did meet a merman. He told you he felt suffocated right? Maybe he wanted you to help him get away? Being in a suffocating home is troubling. I would want to run-- er.. swim?-- away too, but being a prince is a different story. Any kid can run away because they’re pissed off by their parents, but he has an entire kingdom depending on him. He can’t go away by himself because he’s tied down to his responsibilities. But if you helped him, he’d be free. Maybe he wanted you to help him be free.”   
  
Kaoru turned his head to Chiaki, who was looking at him with the biggest eyes. He started to tear up as he exclaimed, “That’s so sad! I wanna help him Hakaze!”

“That’s so like you Moricchi,” Kaoru chuckled, “To get invested in a problem as big as that. I mean, how do you expect to help a runaway merman prince? Wow that sounds so dumb once I say it out loud. But I guess you do have that sorta hero complex huh. Well, good luck with that.” 

“No, Hakaze! You have to help me! I mean, you’re the one who figured out the problem anyways! You gotta help me!” Chiaki exclaimed.

“What?” Kaoru sputtered, “Moricchi, I can’t help you with your fictional sea creature!”

“You already come here everyday! We just have to wait for him to come! I’ll tell him I’ll help and we’ll wait for him!” Chiaki said while smiling towards the ocean. “Hey! Kanata! If you can hear me, I figured it out! I’ll help you!” He screamed.

“Dude Moricchi, shut up! It’s late as hell! Quiet!” Kaoru yelled at him in a hushed voice.

“Sorry, sorry! Now, you want me to tell you more you missed while you skipped class?” Chiaki asked, sitting back down next to Kaoru.    
  


* * *

Kanata stopped swimming and he looked back towards the direction of the beach. He smiled and he whispered, “I 'heard' you, Chiaki. I’ll come soon”


End file.
